Air Source Heat Pump

Air source heat pumps, often called “mini-splits”, are electric appliances that provide summertime air-conditioning and wintertime heating. Save money on your energy bill and improve the comfort of your home, all while reducing your greenhouse gas emissions. Ductless and ducted models are available. Scroll down to explore your options and the different applications.

What are the benefits?

  • Almost 75% of energy used in a typical New York home is for heating and cooling. Heat pumps can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year on your heating bill.
  • Heat pumps provide air conditioning and dehumidification more efficiently than window units and most central air conditioning systems.
  • The filtration provided by heat pump systems can significantly reduce allergens in your home, benefiting sensitive individuals.
  • Eliminating or reducing the combustion of fossil fuels in your home improves home safety as well.
  • Converting from systems that burn fossil fuels to electric powered air source heat pumps will help reduce your carbon footprint and dependence on imported fossil fuels.
  • Using solar PV or other renewable electricity sources can further offset emissions from the electricity powering your heat pump.
  • Air source heat pumps can be installed in applications ranging from central solutions to providing heating and cooling to individual rooms.
  • Today’s cold climate air source heat pumps can extract heat from the air all the way down to -13°F.

Is this right for my home?

There is a heat pump solution for every home. If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions below, a heat pump system could be a particularly good fit for you:

  • Do you heat with oil, propane or electric resistance?
  • Do you want central air conditioning but don’t have/don’t want to install ductwork?
  • Do you have persistent hot or cold spots in your home?
  • Do you want more control over the temperature in individual rooms in your home?
  • Are you sensitive to air pollutants and allergens?
  • Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint?

Need help determining the heat pump system that might be best for your home? NYSERDA’s Heat Pump Planner tool can help you learn more about heat pump technology, the types available, installation and operation costs, and questions to ask an installer.

You can download the full HEAT PUMP PLANNER [PDF] for more information about heat pumps and using the Planner, or discover the heat pump technology that might be the best for you by using the chart on the NYSERDA website, linked here.

Heat Pump Planner

Want to Learn More?

See Homeowner Success Stories and check out our most recent webinar recordings.

HVAC Comparison Calculator

ConEd offers an HVAC comparison calculator. Plug in data about your home, annual heating and cooling costs and explore the operating costs for different systems.

If you’re considering an upgrade to your current heating and cooling equipment, use the ConEd Comparison Calculator to see how installing a high-efficiency heating and cooling system could impact your costs.

*This application uses your local weather and energy rates. This is only an estimate of your actual energy use.

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What will it look like in my home?

DUCTLESS

Ductless air source heat pumps can be installed as a primary source of heating and cooling or installed to heat and cool specific rooms. This could include, for example, installing ductless units in the most frequently used rooms like family rooms or master bedrooms to displace heating or cooling from your existing system, or placing ductless units in rooms or new additions that never seem to be warm or cool enough.

What will it look like in my home?

DUCTED

Ducted air source heat pumps have an outdoor unit that is connected to a building’s ductwork, which is used to distribute heating or air conditioning throughout the home. Ducted (also known as central or unitary) use your home’s existing ductwork, though not all ductwork is sized adequately for heat pumps. A EnergySmart HOMES partner installer can tell you if your ductwork is sized adequately and what modifications may be necessary during a free site visit.

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Incentives and Rebates

Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) rebates start at $500 for installing one unit but climb substantially with whole-home installations.

Inflation Reduction Act:
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) empowers American households to save thousands of dollars on the upfront costs of electric machines, like air source heat pumps. In turn, those machines will save families an average of $1,800 per year on their energy bills.
Learn more here.

See Rewiring America’s IRA calculator to see how much money you can get with the Inflation Reduction Act.
See the chart below to discover the utility and state offered incentives and rebates for energy efficiency projects.

The EnergySmart Homes partner-installers will find your relevant state and utility rebates using calculations specific to your building and the proposed equipment. Every EnergySmart Homes partner installer has the necessary accreditation, software, and experience to accurately inform you of your true bottom line (included on your proposal) and will assist you with the paperwork. The EnergySmart Homes Team is here to help! To access the utility rebates and state incentives you must use a Con Ed, NYSEG or NYSERDA participating installer.

How to Access Rebates and Incentives

  • To install an ASHP and access the utility rebates, call an EnergySmart Homes contractor to schedule (link to installer page) your assessment.
  • If you want to install an ASHP in addition to other energy efficiency upgrades, check out the Comfort Homes package offered by NYSERDA
  • Income eligible participants can access additional incentives through two NYSERDA programs. Eligibility is based on household annual income.
  • Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and Empower NY provide incentives to eligible homeowners, renters and apartment-dwellers for heat pump installation, in addition to other energy efficiency upgrades. See the Home Energy Efficiency page for more details.
  • Ask your contractor about the Heat Pump Demonstration Study to stack additional rebates.

Financing & Loan
Information

This document provides information regarding financing options through NYSERDA for homeowners who are looking to install heat pumps and energy efficiency upgrades in their homes. It includes information on:

  • On-Bill Recovery Loan
  • Smart Energy Loan
  • Companion Loan
  • Renewable Energy Tax Bridge Loan

It also provides information on each loan’s interest rates and the general loan approval criteria for NYSERDA loans.

Residential Loan Information

Our EnergySmart Homes Partner Contractors offer additional financing options.

Contractor Loan Information

Federal Tax Credit

Don’t forget to take your IRS tax credit for heat pump installations. ENERGY STAR air source heat pumps installed before 12/31/2022 qualify for a $300 credit. Installations completed after that date will be eligible for a higher tax credit. Consult a tax professional for questions about how to take advantage of this tax credit.

For More Information

Contact Lauren Brois

lauren@sustainablewestchester.org

914-242-4725 x122

Email inquires to

energysmarthomes@sustainablewestchester.org

energysmarthomes@sustainablewest

chester.org